$6-million Go Unclaimed From Idaho Lottery Tickets

Over the last two years in Idaho about $6 million go unclaimed from lottery tickets according to Idaho Lottery spokesman David Workman. That total comes from scratch tickets and all the different games where the balls drop. In fiscal year 2010 nearly $3.7 million worth of prizes went unclaimed. In 2011 the total was almost $2.3 million.

Those unclaimed prizes range from $1 all the way up to $1 million. A million dollar ticket sold in Eastern Idaho two years ago went unclaimed. Workman says it’s a mystery why so many tickets go unclaimed. He says many of them may get lost or laundered. Workman also thinks some people just may not understand the rules. You have 180 days to claim your prize. If you miss the deadline you lose, but public schools in the state still benefit from the sales of lottery tickets in Idaho.